August 21st, 2025
In this issue:
- Op-Ed: Tech Workers Must Challenge the Political Power of Their Bosses
- Richest Gain Most and Poorest Face Steepest Cuts Under G.O.P. Law, Analysis Finds
- Seattle’s middle class is becoming scarce
- Candidate Trump Promised Oil Executives a Windfall. Now, They’re Getting It.
- King County food banks brace for demand as federal SNAP cuts loom
In this week’s headlines, a Seattle tech worker is calling on their colleagues to hold their ultra wealthy bosses accountable, new data shows just how destructive Trump’s Big Ugly Bill will be, and Washington food banks are bracing for higher demand due to cuts from the White House and Congress.
Wealth inequality is top of mind, and people are feeling it.
Here in Washington, we have the tools to fight back. Right now, state lawmakers and our allies are whipping up proposals for ways to fix our state’s upside down tax code so we can restore funding to the programs that families count on. We’ll be ready next legislative session to be sure these solutions are top priority for lawmakers. We’re glad to have you in this movement to fight for a fairer tax code in Washington state.
-Treasure
OP-ED: TECH WORKERS MUST CHALLENGE THE POLITICAL POWER OF THEIR BOSSES
I started the Tech4Taxes coalition this year out of a strong sense of injustice. I knew those tech lobbyists were telling legislators the same threats they always do: “We’re so poor! If you pass these taxes, we’ll lay off your constituents, then write an op-ed blaming you!” And so far, their threats have been working.
But tech workers like me don’t enjoy being a bargaining chip to protect our CEO’s bottom line. And we know better than anyone else that their claims are false. They can absolutely afford to pay all the taxes that were proposed this year, and more.
More – Fatema Boxwala, The Urbanist
RICHEST GAIN MOST AND POOREST FACE STEEPEST CUTS UNDER G.O.P. LAW, ANALYSIS FINDS
The Republicans’ domestic policy legislation will most likely raise after-tax incomes of the richest Americans while its cuts to social spending will leave the poorest at a substantial disadvantage, according to an analysis released on Monday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
The report also estimated that millions of low-income Americans could lose access to federal food assistance or Medicaid under the sweeping bill that President Trump signed into law last month.
This highly regressive pattern — both cutting the safety net for the poor and reducing taxes for the rich — has no precedent among large budget bills passed in the last 40 years.
More – Madeleine Ngo and Margot Sanger-Katz, The New York Times
SEATTLE’S MIDDLE CLASS IS BECOMING SCARCE
Among the 50 largest cities, Seattle had the third-highest share of six-figure income households, behind San Jose (62.2%) and San Francisco (58.1%).
Put another way, for every 100 Seattle households making $50,000 to $99,999, there were about 279 making at least $100,000. That made Seattle one of just seven major cities where the number of higher-income households was more than double the number of middle-income households.
The only cities more skewed toward higher-income households were San Jose and San Francisco, both with more than 300 households in the $100,000-plus bracket for every 100 households earning between $50,000 to $99,999.
More – Gene Balk, The Seattle Times
CANDIDATE TRUMP PROMISED OIL EXECUTIVES A WINDFALL. NOW, THEY’RE GETTING IT.
During the presidential campaign, Donald J. Trump gathered oil executives at his Mar-a-Lago estate and promised them a powerful return on their investment if they raised $1 billion to help him retake the White House.
The industry never ponied up quite that much, but nevertheless, six months into Mr. Trump’s presidency, oil and gas companies are poised to reap multibillion-dollar windfalls from the administration’s actions so far.
The benefits for fossil fuels comes as the Trump administration is systematically eliminating federal policies to combat climate change, including this week’s extraordinary move to revoke the Environmental Protection Agency’s scientific justification for regulating greenhouse gases. That move would essentially kill one of the government’s main tools for cutting emissions from power-plant smokestacks, oil and gas wells and automobile tailpipes.
More – Lisa Friedman, The Seattle Times
KING COUNTY FOOD BANKS BRACE FOR DEMAND AS FEDERAL SNAP CUTS LOOM
About four years ago, a brain condition forced Smith-Dozier to retire, upending her world. She went from a steady salary to scraping by on Social Security payments. Money “was beyond tight,” she said. Food assistance from the government — about $200 a month — allowed her to breathe a little easier.
Now, massive slashes and sweeping changes to the federal food assistance program under the budget reconciliation bill signed by President Donald Trump last month has left Smith-Dozier and other recipients reeling.
“My family was like, ‘you have to get ready, you better get a garden,’ ” Smith-Dozier said wryly.
More – Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks, The Seattle Times
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